Professional standards for speech pathologists
Australia’s speech pathologists maintain high professional and ethical standards through daily practice, lifelong learning, Certified Practising Speech Pathologist (CPSP) status and Speech Pathology Australia (SPA) membership. The CPSP program is voluntary and aims to protect the public, ensure high-quality healthcare, and uphold the profession’s reputation.
More information about the CPSP program can be found in the Key Definitions page key definitions page.
Self-regulation vs. statutory regulation
Self-regulation
Several health professions in Australia use self-regulation to protect the public and maintain standards. As a full member of the National Alliance of Self-Regulating Health Professions (NASRHP), SPA aligns its standards with NASRHP's framework. NASRHP’s framework is closely modelled on the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (NRAS), the regulatory framework administered by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra).
More information about statutory regulation, NASRHP, NRAS, and Ahpra can be found in the Key Definitions page.
Statutory regulation
Sixteen other health professions are subject to mandatory statutory regulation under the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (NRAS). Ahpra provides administrative support to the National Boards to implement NRAS. Practitioners included in NRAS are required to register with and are regulated by their National Board. Health professionals may understand this as being ‘Ahpra registered’.
More information about statutory regulation, NRAS, and Ahpra can be found in the Key Definitions page.
Criteria for NRAS inclusion
Admission of a health profession to NRAS requires six criteria to be met, with a key factor being whether the profession’s activities are deemed to pose a significant public risk. NRAS is established by the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (the National Law). This law is in force in each state and territory, not at the Commonwealth level, with the primary goal of protecting the public.
More information about SPA’s previous applications to be included as an Ahpra-registered profession under NRAS can be found in the SPA advocacy on regulation FAQ page.
Recent consultations and regulatory developments
These consultations have catalysed discussion about regulation among the self-regulated allied health professions.
Consultations of relevance to speech pathologists
Recent national consultations have discussed health professional regulation, including the Unleashing the Potential of our Health Workforce – Scope of Practice Review (Scope of Practice Review), NDIS Provider Registration, the National Allied Health Workforce Strategy, and the Independent review of complexity in the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (NRAS Complexity Review). SPA actively participated in these consultations, representing our members’ views and those with communication and swallowing needs.
The Scope of Practice Review’s Final Report has proposed three options to standardise the regulation of self-regulated professions: creating a pathway into the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (NRAS), changing the definition of "health profession" under National Law, or accrediting professional bodies via Ahpra. SPA notes that this third option closely aligns with the proposed model within the NRAS Complexity Review, which is further discussed below.
Consultation Paper 2 of the NRAS Complexity Review proposes a regulatory model with three pathways, based on the risks to the public health and safety posed by the activities of a profession.
- “High risk” pathway: Refers to professions currently regulated under the existing National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (NRAS). These professions are registered by National Boards, with regulation administered through Ahpra.
- “Medium risk” pathway: Speech pathologists, dietitians, audiologists, sonographers, social workers, exercise physiologists, and counsellors are identified in the Scope of Practice Review as examples of professions that may fall into the “medium risk” pathway. Professions in the “medium risk” pathway would be overseen by standards established by an Allied Health Professions Regulatory Council.
- “Lower risk” pathway: Any professions deemed lower risk would have no change to their regulatory processes.
The paper proposes that the risk-based criteria for regulation be reviewed and revised, with expanded considerations including potential lifelong harms, typical service settings, the existence of other protective mechanisms (regulatory or non-regulatory), and the likely predominance of “vulnerable”1 cohorts.
SPA will continue to actively represent speech pathologists. SPA will provide more information to the profession as it becomes available, and the model is refined or replaced with alternative options.
The NRAS Complexity Review’s final report with recommendations is due to be provided to Health Ministers in the July 2025. Health Ministers will consider the recommendations within the report and may or may not accept them. Should Health Ministers endorse the proposed model, SPA anticipates further announcements and consultation will follow.
For more information, please refer to:
- SPA’s submissions to the Scope of Practice Review:
1 The term “vulnerable” is used only to directly reflect the language of Consultation Paper 2. Speech Pathology Australia has provided feedback to the Review team that this terminology may not align with strengths-based language and supports the use of person-centred terminology where possible.
SPA’s consultation with the speech
pathologist workforce
Governments and Health Ministers are responsible for deciding if statutory regulation will apply to health professionals and whether regulatory framework changes should be made.
While SPA does not make these decisions, we have actively engaged in each stage of the consultation process and consistently advocated for a regulatory model that best reflects the needs of the profession.
In 2024 SPA established a Regulation Advisory Committee and circulated a survey to all members and non-member practising speech pathologists to seek feedback on speech pathologists’ views and experiences regarding regulation. SPA prepared an overview of the survey results, highlighting key findings and insights, which can be viewed here. This feedback was used to shape SPA’s position and submission in response to Consultation Paper 2 of the NRAS Complexity Review.
SPA’s calls for statutory regulation, title protection, mandatory registration, and a nationally consistent application of professional and ethical standards have been acknowledged by the Review team and are reflected in the model outlined in the most recent consultation paper.
Our goals:
- Educate the profession about regulation.
- Ensure speech pathologists are informed and engaged throughout the reform process.
- Understand the profession's needs.
- Continue to advocate for a regulatory model that aligns with these needs.
- Ensure the profession remains visible and represented in all future regulatory design and implementation processes.
For more information, please view the following pages: